MUMBAI: An Indian pilot’s quest to fly anaircraft that he built on the rooftop of his house has become so entangled in red tape that after waiting for almost six years for approvals – even with the involvement of the Prime Minister’s Office – the frustrated aviator is preparing to head to the US with the project.

Amol Yadav, a pilot with a private airline who lives in Mumbai, thought he had everything going for his dream. He built a six-seater aircraft, which was featured in the government’s ‘Make in India’ programme, on the terrace of his Charkop home. He had the backing of the Maharashtra government, which, impressed with his efforts, offered him land and funds to build 19-seater planes. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had even apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the project.

Yadav is now on the verge of completing his 19-seater aircraft, which would be the first to be built indigenously. That’s something theNational Aerospace Laboratories hasn’t been able to achieve even after working for several years and sinking in crores of rupees.
Yet with his prototype a few months away from completion, Yadav is exasperated. His six-seater plane hasn’t taken off, which means his 19-seater aircraft project will be held up. All his efforts have been throttled by regulatory hurdles.

The Maharashtra government has tied up with Yadav and plans to allot him land, it firsts wants a demonstration of the six-seater in flight. However, the aviation regulator has consistently refused to register Yadav’s aircraft over the years, effectively denying him the ability to demonstrate it can fly. Directorate General of Civil Aviation, according to the Maharashtra government, has created road blocks for the project even after the PMO put in a word.

Not surprisingly, Yadav is disillusioned, especially in the context of the government’s attempts to make doing business in the country easier and the ‘Make in India’ programme, aimed at encouraging local manufacturing and increasing jobs.

“I felt very encouraged by ‘ease of doing business’ and the ‘Make in India’ initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Yadav. “However, I have realised that while the PM may be passionate about these initiatives, for the rest of the bureaucracy, these are just slogans.” Yadav’s primary hurdle is DGCA, the regulator, which has stalled his endeavour.

After he applied to register his six-seater plane under the experimental aircraft category in 2011, DGCA kept dilly-dallying. In 2014, the regulator scrapped the experimental aircraft clause, would have enabled amateurs to build planes, from the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), a set of regulations for the sector. The new rules allow only planes manufactured by companies to fly.

To resolve the issue, Fadnavis met Modi on April 14 in Nagpur and briefed him about Yadav’s aircraft. Following the discussions, the chief minister wrote to the PM about Yadav’s application pending with the DGCA. “He followed up regularly only to know that in July 2014, DGCA arbitrarily deleted this entire set of regulations making it impossible for anyone building experimental aircraft to apply for the same. It is not known why such a step was taken,” Fadnavis wrote.

Fadnavis met Modi again in New Delhi in the last week of April, following which Sanjeev Kumar Singla, the PM’s private secretary, was called in and asked to get involved with the DGCA.

Still, the DGCA refused to budge. In fact, the regulator uploaded a new draft CAR on August 28 with provisions that would ensure that no one in the country could hope to build an experimental aircraft.

One revised provision stipulates the maximum weight of a new aircraft should not exceed 1,500 kg, just below the 1,600 kg Yadav mentioned in his application. This is unusual because in countries that encourage aircraft manufacturing such as the US, there are no weight restrictions. The DGCA also states in several places that aircraft should be built as per minimum standards, without specifying what those norms are.

ET sent Singla two detailed questionnaires regarding the status of Yadav’s application, which he forwarded to DGCA for a response. DGCA joint director general Lalit Gupta contacted this reporter on September 26, saying he was calling to respond to the questionnaires sent to Singla. ET tried to get in touch with JM Thakkar, public relations officer in the PMO, seeking Singla’s comments.

However, there has been no response. ET sent DGCA 17 questions related to the matter, including one on why it scrapped the provision for approval of experimental aircraft. The regulator did not answer most of the queries and said it was only following the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency. ET checked the ICAO rules, which don’t ask any member country to deny registration to anyone building an aircraft.

DGCA told ET it is in touch with Yadav and other stakeholders to frame a new CAR. However, Yadav said that the DGCA, in discussions with him, reiterated that his aircraft would not be permitted to fly.

Now, Yadav has approached the US Federal Aviation Authority to register his aircraft there.

“I wanted my aircraft to have an India registration, but in our country innovation is considered to be a crime. So I am arranging for funds to take my aircraft to the US to get registered there. The whole process takes less than a month, compared to the six years that I have wasted here,” said Yadav.

“I am giving myself a month’s time if I am not able to get funds, then I invite the people of Mumbai to a unique funeral where I will take my six-seater aircraft to Bandra Kurla Complex, where it was first showcased during the ‘Make in India’ week, and then take a hammer and break it down because our country doesn’t like to encourage enterprise by the common man,” said Yadav.

Boost For Manufacturing Sector
An indigenous 19-seater plane such as the one that pilot Amol Yadav built, would be a boost for India’s aircraft manufacturing industry and help create jobs in the sector. Such aircraft would promote boost regional connectivity and airlines would find it viable to fly them to smaller airports instead of deploying 40- or 70- seater planes that are harder to fill for such destinations. More flights to smaller cities would in turn promote tourism in these areas. Such planes are also useful as private and business charter aircraft, which are used by wealthy individuals and companies

You guys will be shocked to know that DGCA which looks after aviation sector in India is headed mostly by people who have no experience either as an engineer or as a pilot or as an ATC officer. Most are just Clerks promoted to be heads of various branches.

I have seen pics of our guy's plane. I like his enthusiasm but I really think red tape isn't a bad thing here. That thing doesn't convince me as being flight worthy yet. I think a lot of checks of this project is a good thing for the safety of his own bones.

I have seen pics of our guy's plane. I like his enthusiasm but I really think red tape isn't a bad thing here. That thing doesn't convince me as being flight worthy yet. I think a lot of checks of this project is a good thing for the safety of his own bones.

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An experimental aircraft in the Light Sport Aircraft category in USA does not need any permission at all but if you are going to make an FAR23/25 compliant aircraft, you need someone to certify the design, the manufacturing and all your methodology has to be as per rules laid down in FAR. This guy is making an aircraft for commercial flying and the aircraft needs to be certified thru a proper procedure.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Aviation_Regulations#Part_23
If you read this, you will realise that firstly this aircraft being a six seater does not fall under LSA or experimental category and secondly, This man did not take approval of his manufacturing practices before building the prototype. Let him go to USA, even there his concoction will not be registered.

You guys will be shocked to know that DGCA which looks after aviation sector in India is headed mostly by people who have no experience either as an engineer or as a pilot or as an ATC officer. Most are just Clerks promoted to be heads of various branches.

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Had gone to them with an experimental airship design. The chaps could not tell me which category it should be in. First they said no need, balloon hai. Then after continuosly pestering them, they said will check. Then I got frustrated and got details myself. When I went back, they had no idea how to get certification. Ridiculous bunch of idiots.

Later a team from the US was ready to sell me their design and help fine tune it for Indian conditions. Same for another chap from Europe. Got approvals from MoS for Home, Maharashtra and the PS, Home to demo it to the team in Nagpur for anti naxal operations. But then, ran out of funds and patience of dealing with the idiots in bureaucracts. More funds, than patience.

TAC-003 is a Six Seater utility Aircraft Manufactured by THRUST AIRCRAFT COMPANY.

TAC-003 is specially designed keeping Indian conditions, Existing Infrastructure, the fuel availability and expertise available everywhere in India. The Aircraft TAC-003 is targeted towards huge connectivity potential with existing 400 airstrips. The Aircraft TAC-003 is capable of connecting all the districts of India. This makes TAC-003 the first aircraft designed for India.

Fuel required for TAC-003 is 93 Octane which is widely available in India. TAC-003 comes with BRS Aircraft Parachute which ensure safe landing in case of emergency. First Aircraft manufactured in India for India.

The prototype can reach heights of up to 13,000 feet at 1,500 feet per hour. It can cover a distance of 2,000 kilometres at a top speed of 185 nautical miles per hour. It is built to carry a weight of 1,450 kg, and could seat five to six people.6(1 pilot and 5 passenger)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday showed willingness to help Captain Amol Yadav to start manufacturing facility for indigenous 6-seater and 19-seater aircrafts at Palghar. The state government will provide 157 acres of land in the district for this first of its kind project.

MUMBAI: Amol Yadav may be just one man but he has managed to do what many of India's larger enterprises haven't been able to. The journey wasn't easy but at the end of a six-year endeavour that included selling his home and a daunting fight against red tape, Mr Yadav's dreams have taken wings - only the flight is left. The aircraft enthusiast has not only managed to build a working plane by himself, he has also managed to move the clunky bureaucracy into granting him a license to fly it.

"The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has provided a registration certificate to pilot Amol Yadav," a statement from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' office said on Monday. It was on the Chief Minister's request that PM Narendra Modi's himself intervened to ensure that Mr Yadav could finally stop going around in circles with the aviation regulator.

Amol Yadav built the aircraft on the rooftop of a building in Mumbai.

Grateful, he has dedicated his aircraft's registration to Mr Fadnavis and PM Modi. "The registered name of the aircraft is VT-NMD or Victor Tango Narendra Modi Devendra," Mr Yadav told NDTV.

A resident of Mumbai, Mr Yadav sold his house and spent 4 crore to build a six-seater airplane on a rooftop of a building in Kandivali. In 2016, it was put on display at an exhibition under the Make in India scheme. But the permission for a test flight eluded him.

Mumbai Pilot Amol Yadav spent 4 crore to build the plane.

Before PM Modi's intervention, Mr Yadav alleges, the DGCA not only sat on his application for years but also changed old rules that would have allowed him to fly the aircraft. But it was his incessant campaign that ultimately forced the rules to be changed.

"The rules will prevent huge losses to the Indian exchequer because people like me and more will be able to make planes. They will be able to get the planes registered and fly them too," he said.

But having done all of this, Mr Yadav is not kicking back, relaxing in the comfort of his success. He says he is already started the work on a 19-seater aircraft.

It is supposed to fly anytime soon not in 2018 or 2019 but they are not very good with their timelines.

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Man that prototype was built in 2003-04. It has not been used after 2009 except engine relighting which they did probably once in 3 months or so. It would take a lot of time to convert it into a modern flying proto with latest tech and reducing weight. The SARAS was already heavier than 1100kg than its supposed to be.

SARAS have been revived by NAL this year. 1st prototype of SARAS is being readied again. Expected to fly in 2018 end or 19.

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Saras was sanctioned in 1999 and made it’s first flight in 2004. While first aircraft was clearly overweight at 5,118kg compared to the 4,125kg design specifications.second prototype Saras aircraft lost 400kgs, but it was still heavy by 500kgs which were to be addressed on third Prototype. NAL has developed a third prototype, but it is yet to take its first flight due to weight issues.

The SARAS PT-2 aircraft is an experimental aircraft under development by M/s National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore and is intended for passenger and cargo transportation on domestic routes.It is designed, manufactured and operated by NAL, Bangalore as Saras Prototype -II aircraft. This aircraft has been duly entered in the register of India with effect from 5.12.2006